helpful advice for new Jamesons from a one week old

[Boomzilla]

I'm only a week old, but there are a few tips and tidbits that I'd like to have known from the beginning:

essential OXPs (this isn't a list of fun favorites, its stuff I'd include in the basic experience)

deepspacepirates1.3 (stops you from 'cheating' by avoiding the space lanes between the jump and the planet)

griff shipset replace
griff shipset resources (update graphics by about 10 years)
griff station bundle fullsize

tips:
Keyboard controls: I don't use a joystick. With keyboard only controls I found it very difficult to stay on target in a fight. I find it much easier after I switched the roll and yaw keys. You can find a how-to in the oolite wiki FAQ section.

Speedy docking: line up so that the beacon is to your left (or right) and the station is on your right (or left) and you're pointed midway between them. Switch to port or starboard view and watch for the station to come in view. speed around the station until the docking port is lined up in your side view, then switch to front view as you turn directly towards the station. Now dock just like normal. This is great for when you're out of fuel and patience. (don't try this until you're competent at the controls)

Before you try to fight anything: you need witch fuel burners at least. a better laser, ECM, and upgraded shields are almost as essential.

Surviving a fight: As soon as the other ship starts shooting kick in your burners and get past him. Jousting matches are just going to get you dead, especially with multiple enemies.

Making money: Trading is tough with only 20 or 35T of cargo. A better bet is to switch to hauling passengers once you can afford a few passenger compartments. Just hop back and forth between two close planets at one corner of the map, accept contracts to the opposite end of the map until you're full, then set out. Remember to use short jumps when possible to save time.



*The authoring party makes no guarantees pertaining to the accuracy of the preceding document. By reading this you agree to not hold the authoring party responsible for loss of property, injury to person, or death.

[Norby]

Some tips what I missed first time in the reference sheet:

Ctrl+arrows: fine targeting.
Ctrl+Shift+M: turn on mouse control in yaw mode.
Ctrl+Shift+N: step back in the primable equipment list.
Ctrl+Shift+6: in Galactic chart (F6F6) display the fastest route using short jumps to the target system after you bought the [wiki]Advanced_Navigational_Array[/wiki] equipment in a Tech Level 7 or higher system for 2250 Cr.
Asterisk (* in numpad or Shift+8): screenshot into oolite-saves/snapshots/oolite-xxx.png .
Hud toggle with "o" key is working in pause only, so for an ambient shot press po*op .

There are many tips (piloting, trading, tactics, missions) in the [wiki]Oolite_Instruction_Manual[/wiki].

[metatheurgist]

Before you try to fight anything: you need witch fuel burners at least. a better laser, ECM, and upgraded shields are almost as essential.

I'd disagree here. You have to pick your fights when you're a shiny new commander, but you can win a few of them. Missiles are a wildcard in early fights, but not everyone has them. ECM as a first purchase makes those early fights a bit more likely to fall your way. Part of the fun of the game is the frustration of getting owned by better equipped ships, makes those times when you successfully fight off someone your own size more satisfying.

[onno256]

Pretty much how I begin with a new savegame...

[Dawn Trader]

yup... pretty much the same for me with an added extension: asteroid fields. I spent many hours in the fields sharpening my aim ( no two vessels have the same aiming point) until I could hit a target at extreme distances. also built up my credit reserves. the occasional brewhaha would come my way... I could take it or leave it depending on how I felt that day. Once I got accurate enough to know better, I would take on the other tasks of doing life in the OOniverse.

[Astrobe]

To help with manual docking there is http://wiki.alioth.net/index.php/Dock_Assist_System_OXP.

[onno256]

Also, when burning through my shields, I quickly inject away untill they are off the radar, wait till my shields are full, and make a quick turn around to go back into the fray...
Only works if none of them have fuel injectors...

[Sendraks]

Tips for beginners eh?

1 - A fuel injector should be a priority purchase, it is the single most useful piece of equipment (in my experience) for a beginner Jameson. It can get you out of scrapes and cuts down on a lot of tedious "mass lock" time in the early stages of play.

2 - Parcels - In 1.77 these pay good money if you have top standing, in 1.79 the pay excellent money. For a beginning Jameson, these can mean a few hundred extra credits in your pocket just for flying to a destination.

3 - Gems, Gold and Platinum - buy it cheap and horde it until you can sell it for a tidy profit. Takes up almost no hold space, so worth ferrying around and building up a stack (125 units) that you can sell somewhere for a lot more cash. Rock Hermits, Con Stores, Salvage Gangs, are all good sources of cheap gems, plat and gold. As are asteroids.